Releasable wringer.



F. H. BERGMAN. RELEASABLE WRINGER. APPLICATION FILED MAR 10,l913.

Patented Mar. 10,1914

A Y'TORNEI'S all n era FREDERICK H. IBEBGMAN, F NEWTGN, IOWA.

RELEASABLE VVRINGER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. BERG- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Newton, in the county of Jasper and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Releasable Wringer, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a wringer especially adapted for use w th power washing machines, provided w th means of simple, durable and inexpensive construction whereby the tension on the upper wringer roll may be instantly and easily released whenever desired.

ltTy invention consists in certain details, in the construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are obtained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 shows a rear elevation of an improved wringer embodying my inventlon. Fig. 2 shows a top or plan view of the same. Fig. 3 shows a top or plan view of the tension releasing attachment, the screw threaded bolt being shown in cross section, and Fig. 4 shows a detail view of a portion of one end of the wringer.

Tn the accompanying drawings T have used the reference numeral to indicate generally theupright end members of my improved wringer. The shalt 11 of the lower wringer roll 12 is suitably mounted in the frameof the machine and is provided at one'end with a belt pulley 13 or other suitable means for connecting the wringer with the source of power and from which the machine is operated. The end members 10 preferably provided with vertical slots and the shaft 1d of the upper wringer roll 15 extends into the said slots. Above each end or the shaft 14 and slidably mounted in the end member 10 is a suitable block 16 which rests upon the end of the shaft 14. T provide a strong flat spring 17 curved from its center downwardly and outwardly to its ends. The ends of the spring 17 rest upon and bear down upon the blocks 1.6. In the middle of the spring 17, on the upper surface thereof, I provide a socket 18 to receive the lower end of the screw threaded bolt 19. hereinafter mentioned. Extending across the top of the wringer is a bar or top member 20, which may be of cast iron or other suitable material and is detachably secured to the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented llllar. Ml, 1121 Application filed. March 10, 1913. Serial N0. 7253,4 11.

upper ends of the members 10 by bolts 21 or other suitable means. The bar is preterably horizontal in its central upper port1on and is curved downwardly and out wardly from said horizontal portion, as shown in Fig. 1. Near one end of the horizontal portion of the bar 20 it provide a pair of parallel, laterally extending flanges 22. Piv ted between the flanges 22 to swing in a horizontal plane is a bar 23. Formed in one side of the horizontal portion of the arm or bar 20 is a recess 24 designedto receive a lug 25 on the bar 23 when said bar is swung to position against the horizontal portion of the arm or bar 20. Formed in the horizontal portion of the member 20 and in the lug 25 are vertical grooves 26 which register with each other and are screw threaded. When the bar 23 is held against the arm 20 the grooves 26 form a single vertical screw threaded opening in which is received a screw threaded bolt 19, having at its upper enda small hand wheel 27. The lower end of the bolt 19 is designed to be received in the socket 1S. Formed in the free end of the bar 23 is an opening designed to receive a later ally extending lug 28 on the horizontal portion of the member 20. In the lug 28 is a vertical opening 29. Pivoted to the member 20, adjacent to the lug 28 is a lever or handle on which is formed a hook member 31 de signed to enter the opening 29 and to hold the bar 23 against the member 20 when the lever 30 is in its upright position, as shown in Fig. 1. On the lower end of the lever 30 is an extension 32, the outer surface of which is beveled, as clearly shown in Fig. v3, in such a manner that when the lever 30 is moved in a direction away from the bolt 19 and the hook member 31 is withdrawn from the opening 29, the thinnest portion of the extension 32 will pass between the free end of the bar 23 and the side of the member 20 and the beveled edge of the extension 32 will force the bar 23 outwardly and away from the member 20.

T will now describe the practical operation of my improved releasable wringer. Assuming that themember 20 is secured in position on the upright members 10, the bar 23 may be moved to position adjacent to, and against the horizontal portion of the member 20. The lever 30 may then be moved until the hook member 81 enters the opening 29, thereby locking the bar 28 against said horizontal portion. The spring Elli - until its 17 may then be placed in position with its end resting on the blocks 16 and with the socket 18 directly below the opening formed by the recesses 26. The screw threaded bolt 19 may then be screwed into said opening lower end enters said socket. By screwing the bolt 19 downwardly the proper tension may be imposed upon the wringer roll 15 through the spring 17 and the blocks 16. The tension may be varied, as desired, by means of the screw threaded bolt 19. If, for any reason, it is desired to release the tension suddenly, the lever 30 may be pushed or struck in such a way as to release the hook'member 31 from the opening 29 and to cause the beveled edge of the extension 32 to force the bar 23 away from the horizontal portion of the member 20. The bolt 19 will be thereby completely released and the tension on the wringer rolls entirely removed.

The advantages of some device for instantly releasing the tension on the rolls is obvious. Where the clothes become tangled or knotted and start through between the rolls, it is often very difficult to stop the machine in time to prevent breaking the wringer. In the absence of some releasing device, such a device is highly desirable in cases where the fingers of the operator may be caught between the rolls.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a frame including upright end members, a lower wringer roll suitably mounted on said frame, an upper wringer roll mounted on said frame to slide in a vertical plane, a spring arranged to impart downward pres sure upon the upper wringer roll, a cross member secured to said upright end members above said spring, a bar hinged to said cross member to swing in a horizontal plane, said bar and said cross member being provided with vertical recesses which registerwith each other and are screw threaded, instantly releasable means for locking said bar against said cross member and a screw threaded bolt mounted in said vertical recesses with its lower end bearing upon said spring.

2. In a device of the class described, a frame including upright end members, a lower wringer roll suitably mounted on said frame, an upper wringer roll mounted on said frame to slide in a vertical plane, a spring arranged to impart downward pressure upon the upper wringer roll, a cross member secured to said upright end memoeaeaa hers above said spring, a bar hinged to said cross member to swing in a horizontal plane, said bar and said cross member being provided with vertical recesses which register with each other and are screw threaded, instantly releasable means for locking said bar against said cross member and for moving said bar away from said cross member when said means are released, a screw threaded bolt mounted in said screw threaded reoesses with its lower end designed to bear upon said spring.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame including upright end members, a lower wringer roll suitably mounted on said frame, an upper wringerroll mounted on said frame to slide in a vertical plane, a spring arranged to impartdownward pressure upon the upper wringer roll, a cross member secured to saidupright end members above said spring, a bar hinged to said cross member to swing in a horizontal plane, s aid'bar and said cross member being provided with vertical recesses which register with each other and are screw threaded, said bar being provided with an opening'in its free end, a lug on said cross member having an opening therein, said lug being designed to extend through the opening in said bar when said bar is moved against said cross member, a lever pivoted to said cross member and a hook member thereon designed in one position of the movement of said lever to enter the opening in said lug for locking said bar against said cross member.

4. In a device of the class described a frame having upright end members, a lower wringer I roll mounted on said frame, an upper wringer roll mounted to slide vertically in said frame, a flat spring curved from its center downwardly and outwardly to its ends, said ends resting above the ends of said second wringer roll and designed to bear downwardly upon them, a cross member mounted on said frame above said spring, a bar hinged to said cross member to swing in a horizontal plane, instantly releasable means for locking said member against said cross member and, adjustable means designed to be secured between said bar and said cross member and to impart downward pressure on said spring.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 3, 1913.

FREDERICK H. BERGMAN.

Witnesses:

L. A. RUssELL, A. C. Konr. 

